
So I have just returned from getting my 'Aum' on at a 10 day Yin yoga course in Mijas, Spain. I could write about the experience for hours, but to spare you the fluffy details, it was a beautiful experience and it felt like I went on a real journey with the other women who were taking part in and teaching the course... So much love.
The 100 hour teacher training course covered Yin yoga (duh), anatomy and Chinese medicine. I actually think the course was designed for me, it definitely satisfied the information hungry Gemini in me.
But what really resonated with me the most was what Yin yoga stands for, its so much more than just getting in to a yoga pose, it is a way of living.
In case you didn't know, in Taoism Yin and Yang are the concept of dualism, Yin is said to be a more feminine, passive, fluid and slower energy. Whilst Yang is a more masculine, faster, fiery type energy. The concept is that they are complete polarities but also completely inseparable, one would not exist without the other.
As a Londoner, I can often get caught up in the fast paced, impatient energy of this City, it is all a bit go go go, do do do. I tend to suffer from relaxation guilt whenever I do decide to slow down. I would say London definitely has a more Yang energy, I mean let's just face it most of us can't even catch a train without setting our nervous system in to fight or flight mode. We need some more Yin up in here right!
So as you can imagine, Yin yoga is based around the idea of slowing down, becoming a bit more passive in our approach, holding back instead of pushing through. Unlike other styles of yoga, Yin is a lot slower paced and asks that you hold the pose for a few minutes each time, to allow you to reach a Yin like state.
There are four main principles of Yin yoga, here are my interpretations of them and how I will be applying them to my life;
1. Stillness
Quiet the mind and the soul will speak. In our stillness is where our truth can be found, where our creativity is born, where we are allowed to feel and not do. It can be the place where our greatest ideas are birthed. Without stillness we would not have the substance to build our lives. In all honesty I find it very hard to still myself, too many things to be done, too many places to go... But now I recognise the true worth of stillness, I aim to embrace it fully.
2. Time
In Yin yoga poses are held for a few minutes at a time, this invites you to give yourself the time you need to reach the other principles. Perhaps one of the most valuable things we have on Earth is time, it is understandable why everyone always seems to be in a rush. But will we ever truly get anywhere if we never give ourselves the time we need to get there? Trust me I have been stuck in limbo many times before, where I have wanted something so badly but refused to do it because it would have taken too much time. But if you really think about it, a day, or a week, or a year will pass regardless of what your circumstances are. Give yourself the time you need to do what you need to do.
3. Relaxation
Like other styles of yoga you begin and end Yin by laying in Shavasana, soaking up the glorious peace. Unlike other styles of yoga, in between each Yin pose you are encouraged to take a 'rebound' once you come out of the pose, basically a couple of minutes pause to allow time to reset and absorb the previous pose. This to me highlights the importance of resting in life, in between the do'ing, allowing yourself to re-set and acknowledge what has been going on around you. If we don't allow ourselves this time there may be things we fail to recognise or lessons we fail to learn. The relaxation is just as important as the action.
4. Edge of Comfort
My favourite of the four principles, finding the comfort in your discomfort. I interpret this as slowly and gently pushing yourself out of your comfort zones in life. Whether this is in terms of career, love, social life etc, we can become stagnant when we stay in our comfort zones, we prevent ourselves from moving forward, we can stunt our own growth. Leaving a comfort zone is pretty scary, but fear fades away, and the new zone that we adopt very quickly becomes our new comfort zone for a while, until we are ready to grow again.
So, now I am armed with the powerful tool that is Yin yoga, I have no excuses for letting my Yang energy dominate, and when it inevitably does, I will remember to breathe, find stillness, slow down and give myself time.
Namaste. A special thank you to Becky @ Shanti Atma Yoga for teaching the principles of Yin so beautifully.
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